


Into Character

by spuffyduds



Category: White Collar
Genre: Animal Play, Community: kink_bingo, Dom/sub, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-30
Updated: 2010-06-30
Packaged: 2017-10-10 08:10:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/97531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spuffyduds/pseuds/spuffyduds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter hasn't thought through all the possibilities for Neal's acting skills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into Character

**Author's Note:**

> Done for the kink bingo square of "animal play," but using the option of having the kink be the erotic focus of the fic without any actual sex happening. (Sorry! ;-) Mention of El/Peter/Neal and reference to mild dom/sub.

Peter has, over the years, acquired help on cases from countless people who were dubious or frightened or downright hostile. With logical arguments, with heartfelt pleas, with the threat of jail time; in recent months, with the new option of distracting them with a pretty man in a hat. But he's never had to lobby anyone quite like Rachel Ellis; blonde, beautiful, filthy rich, self-possessed. And six years old.

"No, you may NOT have my kitty," she says.

"I'll get you another one just like it. I'll get you SIX just like it," Peter says, hunkering down to her eye level. There are dozens of stuffed animals staring at him from her bedroom shelves; it's giving him the creeps. "Or, or I'll have it--_him_\--sewn up afterwards by experts, by _surgeons_, you won't even be able to tell." Please, he thinks. And _please_ don't cry.

"No," she says. Peter shoots a begging look at Rachel's father; Mr. Ellis has gotten the full explanation of the comedy of errors that resulted in Rachel buying a bright-purple stuffed cat with a thumb drive full of information in its belly, information that was intended for a pickup by an undercover officer.

"Good luck with that," Ellis says, and retreats to his study down the hall.

Peter joins Neal and Mozzie in the hallway, turns in desperation to Mozzie.

"No," Mozzie says.

"What, you don't like kids?"

"I don't like larval robber barons."

Peter looks at Neal.

"Fine," Neal says, with a theatrical sigh.

He sits on the bedroom floor, and enters into intense negotiations with Rachel; Peter and Mozzie hang back in the doorway. She eventually agrees to hand over Prince Kitkat for surgery in exchange for Neal immediately substituting for the Prince in some sort of complicated rescue of a kidnapped Webkin octopus in the Amazon.

Neal gets down on hands and knees and says, "Hurry, Agent Rachel, we've got to save--"

"Cats don't _talk_," Rachel says, lip curling, and Neal--Neal _meows_. Apologetically.

Peter gasps in a startled breath--because the second he started speaking in cat, Neal got into _character_. Peter's been obsessively cataloging Neal's behavior for years--the last few weeks, for more personal reasons--and Neal's suddenly gone from a guy on his hands and knees to, well, a cat. Lithe and languid, stretching his long narrow back, kneading at the carpet with his hands curled into paws.

"Jesus," Peter whispers. He'd had no idea that picture would _do_ things to him. Not something that had ever come up before.

"Yeah," Mozzie says. He sounds awestruck. "The guy's _method_. If she gave him a saucer of milk, he'd drink it."

Peter shudders and can't quite suppress the whimper, and Mozzie looks at him, raises his eyebrows. "The suit's _kinky!_" he whispers. He sounds _proud_.

"Can you be quiet? Ever? Are you capable of that?" Peter says, and glances back at Neal, who is, oh god, licking his paw and rubbing it over his head while Rachel triumphantly pulls the octopus out of a dollhouse. Apparently it was kidnapped by Barbie.

Peter keeps it together while they get the kitty and promise repeatedly to bring it back after its minor surgery. Despite the fact that Mozzie keeps looking at him and giggling.

Peter and Neal climb into the car and Peter pulls out into traffic, desperately thinking _don't ask don't ask_ at Neal, who, of course, asks.

"What was up with Moz?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Neal shrugs, props Prince Kitkat on his knee and scratches between his purple ears.

"When we--" Peter says, and has to stop to clear his throat, his voice gone suddenly gravelly. "When we wrap up this case? El and I are buying you a collar."

Neal flashes him a smile. "You already did."

"Yeah, well, this one's gonna have a _bell_," Peter says.

Neal blinks at him for a moment, then understanding dawns across his face. His smile grows, becomes smug and somehow feline; his body goes slack and relaxed in the confines of his seat belt, and Peter's pretty sure he's going to wreck the car when Neal starts purring.

 

\---end---


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